Upper Condamine River
The data from this study region includes 12 oral histories (audio as mp3s, and transcripts) and 7 image galleries, as well as a georeferenced hand-drawn map of the area.
The Condamine River is one of the major tributaries of the Darling River System. It rises in the Border Ranges then makes its way along the eastern part of the Darling Downs region in Southern Queensland, becoming the Balonne River near Glenmorgan. It waters one of Queensland's richest agricultural regions. Intensive land use and development has resulted in a very different river to that of years ago. The floodplains are easily eroded and with the arrival of hoofed stock the Condamine River changed and now the catchment is degraded significantly. Over 60% of the aquatic habitat is now considered in poor condition.
Twenty thousand years ago, the Barunggam, Bigambul, Giabal, Kambuwal, Githabul and Jarowair people knew a different Condamine River that flowed year round. With much of the water in the Condamine River flowing underground, spring fed creeks and waterholes were permanent water sources utilised by fish and traditional owners alike.
(Source: Sarac, Z., Sewell, H., Ringwood, G. Baker, E. and Nichols, S. 2012. Upper Condamine: Talking fish, making connections with the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin. Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Canberra. )
<span>Map image attribution: Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Talking Fish Project </span><a href="http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/442140/FINAL-Talking-Fish-booklet-compilation-Jan-2013_for-web.pdf">see details...</a>
2015-06-10
Sarac, Z., Sewell, H., Ringwood, G. Baker, E. and Nichols, S. (2012). Upper Condamine: Talking fish, making connections with the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin. Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Canberra. <a href="http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/442081/Condamine-FINAL_Jan-2013-for-web.pdf">View or download from publisher...</a>
<a href="http://geonode.research.uts.edu.au/layers/geonode%3Afrawley2012page242">http://geonode.research.uts.edu.au/layers/geonode%3Afrawley2012page242</a>
Dataset
183becfa-0ff1-11e5-8eb9-005056a4d06a
POLYGON((150.00000000000003 -28.499999999208217,150.00000000000003 -26.299999999249923,152.6 -26.299999999249923,152.6 -28.499999999208217,150.00000000000003 -28.499999999208217))
Upper Condamine: Images from interview with Brian Kuhn
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/4322' target='_blank'>Revegetation</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/255' target='_blank'>Aboriginal culture</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048655.html' target='_blank'>Fish stocking</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85045491' target='_blank'>Eucalyptus camaldulensis</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh94007041' target='_blank'>Riparian areas</a>
<a href='http://dharmae.research.uts.edu.au/items/show/399' target='_blank'>Aboriginal scarred tree</a>
Photos taken on day of oral history recording of Brian Kuhn by the Talking Fish project team.
The images depict denuding that has occurred and revegetation efforts in the Condamine River Catchment, riparian zones, and River Red Gums.
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
Hamish Sewell
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-09-27
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
image/tiff
Upper Condamine: Images from interview with Dessie Obst
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/4120' target='_blank'>Local history</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/665' target='_blank'>Family life</a>
Historical images of Murray Cod and Yellowbelly from the Obst family. Dessie Obst has sixty years of experience fishing in the local area, and is a member of the Chinchilla and District Amateur Fishing and Restocking Club. In his oral history interview, Dessie recalls fond memories of his youth, fishing and camping with mates along the Condamine River.
Images were sourced by the Talking Fish project team from Dessie Obst on the day of his oral history interview.
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
Hamish Sewell
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-09-23
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
All rights reserved
image/jpeg
image/tiff
Upper Condamine: Images from interview with Geoffrey Reilly
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85145985' target='_blank'>Weirs</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/4120' target='_blank'>Local history</a>
Historical images provided by Geoffrey Reilly on the day of his oral history.
Geoffrey is the owner of the property 'Lennie Brae' that has been in his family for generations. The photos depict the building of weirs in the area.
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
Hamish Sewell
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-09-27
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
All rights reserved
image/tiff
Upper Condamine: Images from interview with Noal Kuhl
Photos taken on day of oral history recording of Noal Kuhl by the Talking Fish research team.
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-09-30
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
image/tiff
Condamine
Bowenville
John Derry Reserve
Masons Bridge
Napco
Oakey Creek
Upper Condamine: Images from interview with Ray and Olive Shooter
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/8721' target='_blank'>Creeks</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh94007041' target='_blank'>Riparian areas</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/9651' target='_blank'>Dimensions</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/5150' target='_blank'>Physical characteristics (Animals)</a>
Images of Ray and Olive Shooter and the Darymple Creek area. Ray Shooter has lived next to Dalrymple Creek, a tributary of the Condamine, for almost 80 years.
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
Hamish Sewell
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-09-27
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
image/tiff
Upper Condamine: Images from interview with Sam Bonner
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/1511' target='_blank'>Places of significance</a>
Photos taken on day of oral history recording of Sam Bonner by the Talking Fish project team.
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
Hamish Sewell
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-09-21
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
image/tiff
Upper Condamine: Images from the Allora Museum
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/4120' target='_blank'>Local history</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/5127' target='_blank'>Fossils</a>
Photographs taken at the Allora Historical Museum by the Talking Fish project team.
Images of local history, including fishing prongs and the infamous 'Talgai skull', reported to be the first fossil evidence of human occupation, found in the Dalrymple Creek area.
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
Hamish Sewell
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-09-28
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
image/tiff
Upper Condamine: Oral History of Brian Kuhn
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/4322' target='_blank'>Revegetation</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/867' target='_blank'>Water resources</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048775' target='_blank'>Fishes--Identification</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85048655.html' target='_blank'>Fish stocking</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh96006425' target='_blank'>Introduced fishes</a>
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/3312' target='_blank'>Environmental flows</a>
Brian Kuhn has been working as a farmer since he was seventeen years old. He lives on a property that borders Kings Creek, a major tributary of the Condamine River, between Clifton and Nobby. Brian is a fisherman, fish stocking club member, and Fishcare volunteer. More recently Brian has been involved in river restoration projects. He reflects on the river’s significance to his life, growing up.
Brian talks about: the state of the Condamine River over the last twenty years, and the lack of rain; translocating Murray Cod from drying water holes; restocking fish species Golden Perch, Murray Cod, Silver Perch, since 1990s; fishing methods; role of Condamine Alliance negotiating revegetation with private landholders; movement of European Carp through the system, and involvement in Carp Busters; differences in the taste of fish and methods of food preparation; removal of trees in streams by Condamine River Trust, 1960s; changes in water flow and impact on river banks; recent re-snagging; underground water and irrigation bores; platypus sightings.
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
Hamish Sewell
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-09-27
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
application/msword
audio/mpeg
image/tiff
English
Upper Condamine: Oral History of Dave Johns
<a href='http://vocabulary.curriculum.edu.au/scot/867' target='_blank'>Water resources</a>
<a href='http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85027414' target='_blank'>Coalbed methane</a>
<a href='http://dharmae.research.uts.edu.au/items/show/402' target='_blank'>Water allocations</a>
Dave Johns engaged in an informal (unrecorded) interview and was happy for it to be made available on the public record. Handwritten notes from the interview are stored at the State Library of New South Wales in collection ML OH 647/1-130.
In his interview Dave discusses changes to Oakey Creek on the Darling Downs and the fight for water allocations in lieu of the new mines. Dave expresses frustration with the lack of attention given to the issue of water resources and allocation and the possible effects of coal gas extraction on the greater region.
Heather Goodall
Jodi Frawley
Hamish Sewell
University of Technology, Sydney
2010-09-28
Murray-Darling Basin Authority
NSW Department of Primary Industries - NSW Fisheries
Copyright University of Technology, Sydney
English